Pulse Transit Time (PTT) is the amount of time it takes for a pressure wave generated by blood being expelled from the heart to travel between two arterial sites. Advantageously, the PTT correlates with various body metrics, such as blood pressure, arterial compliance, and the hardening of artery walls. Although other body metrics, such as height weight, actual physical distance between the two sites, and so on influence the blood pressure, the measurement of the PTT is useful for making these determinations because of the correlation between PTT and blood pressure, for example.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 1 in 3 American adults suffers from high blood pressure. High blood pressure is also referred to herein as hypertension. Hypertension is a risk factor for stroke, heart attack, heart failure, arterial aneurysm, and is the leading cause of renal failure. In the United States alone, it is estimated that hypertension incurs billions in direct, yearly healthcare costs, and nearly 1,000 deaths daily. Hypertension is a significant public health issue, and claims nothing will save more lives than getting blood pressure under control.
Unfortunately, hypertension has no visible warning signs or symptoms, and many people do not even realize they have it. Additionally, even though there are exercise, dietary, and behavioral regiments, and medications to prevent and treat hypertension, compliance is often an issue. However, tools for measuring blood pressure and other body metrics can be intrusive, cumbersome, and painful with repeated use.